variants also eery

Synonym Chooser

How is the word eerie distinct from other similar adjectives?

The words uncanny and weird are common synonyms of eerie. While all three words mean "mysteriously strange or fantastic," eerie suggests an uneasy or fearful consciousness that mysterious and malign powers are at work.

an eerie calm preceded the bombing raid

When is it sensible to use uncanny instead of eerie?

While in some cases nearly identical to eerie, uncanny implies disquieting strangeness or mysteriousness.

an uncanny resemblance between total strangers

When can weird be used instead of eerie?

The words weird and eerie are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, weird may imply an unearthly or supernatural strangeness or it may stress peculiarity or oddness.

weird creatures from another world

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of eerie As more and more eerie changes take place, all pregnant women in the village are forced to abort. Jenny S. Li, Variety, 19 Sep. 2025 Visitors will navigate eerie scenes and encounter characters like The Nun, The Crooked Man and The Ferryman. Chad Murphy, Cincinnati Enquirer, 18 Sep. 2025 And all this — eerie music playing throughout the rooms, floors that rumble on cue, and nine fake movies with fully fleshed plots — is just the beginning. Kansas City Star, 18 Sep. 2025 There’s that tense, eerie feeling created with such a deft hand in Alien. Josh Weiss, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for eerie
Recent Examples of Synonyms for eerie
Adjective
  • The little old ladies in the nursing home are engaging and creepy, inviting visitors into their rooms filled with mummified bodies wrapped in spider webs.
    Brady MacDonald, Oc Register, 19 Sep. 2025
  • Amazon has everything for spooky season More cool than creepy, these marquee lights will light up your mantle, Halloween table, or window.
    BestReviews, Mercury News, 18 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • However, senior research strategist Michael Brown of foreign currency brokerage Pepperstone sketched out his theory after Miran’s weird triple mandate comment roiled bond trading desks across the globe.
    Tiana Lowe Doescher, The Washington Examiner, 19 Sep. 2025
  • There’s a lot of really weird stuff about the ancient world.
    Jonny Thomson, Big Think, 18 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Redford's career spanned decades, but his portrayal of Death as a quiet guide remains one of his most haunting and human performances.
    Hannah Parry Amanda Castro, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Sep. 2025
  • Flash forward to Kubrick’s haunting final act when astronaut Dave Bowman is ensconced, spacesuit in tow, in a bizarre, futuristic rococo hotel suite.
    Bruce Dorminey, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Eerie.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/eerie. Accessed 24 Sep. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on eerie

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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